In Shanghai on Friday, members of the Indian community marked 150 years of the national anthem “Vande Mataram.” The ceremony opened with a speech by Pratik Mathur, the Indian Consul General in Shanghai, who praised the song’s role in India’s fight for independence. He said the song “fired” the nation’s freedom struggle, and the crowd echoed that sentiment as they sang together in the consulate’s auditorium.
On social media, Consul General Mathur posted photos and a brief note, calling the event “the Goonj of Vande Mataram in China” and noting that Shanghai was once a secret hub for the Ghadar revolutionaries who plotted India’s freedom. He also recalled visits by Rabindranath Tagore in the 1920s, linking the city to the broader story of Asian unity and protest.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the anniversary in New Delhi at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. Modi said the song’s first verses — “Sujalam suphalam…” — honor India’s natural beauty and promise, and that the hymn has become a timeless symbol of the nation’s spirit.
Modi reminded listeners that “Vande Mataram” first appeared in the 1875 literary journal Bangadarshan as part of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel Anandamath. He highlighted how the poem, conceived on Akshaya Navami, was later adopted by millions as a rallying cry for independence. “Even in the darkest times, Bankim Babu imagined a prosperous India that could restore its golden age,” Modi said. He praised the song’s enduring power to inspire hope and unity.
According to a release from the Prime Minister’s Office, 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of this cherished anthem. For the Indian diaspora, the celebration in Shanghai and the address in New Delhi were reminders of how a simple song can unite people across borders and keep the memory of the fight for freedom alive.
Source: ianslive
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